Cooking Up A Storm
by Ethereal Forest
Summary: An airhead can still feel emotion. A studious student can still be swept away by emotions. An unlikely yet in the end inevitable romance blossoms between Run and Yuuko. What will this trigger?
1. It Started With Study

**It Started With Study**

The four friends had been sitting in Run's room having a study session on a cloudy but dry spring morning, the clouds creating a forgettable pastel of greys outside Run's bedroom window. Studying was perhaps a strong word by the time we enter the scene, as they had been there for a few hours. Run's digital clock showed it was 4.46pm as each engaged in a separate activity: Run doodling; Nagi working her way through the problems; Tooru reading manga (having tried and failed to motivate Run to continue studying more) and Yuuko flagging, fidgeting with her clothes, hair and trying to work out what Run was drawing.

It was a mixture of boredom and curiosity that eventually made her ask:

"What are you drawing, Run?" Run was seated opposite her around the kotatsu; Tooru to her left and Nagi to her right. All were wearing their school uniform, albeit Tooru still had her 'comfort jumper' over hers with the sleeves flopping about.

Run glanced up with a wide eyed look that indicated she's been disturbed mid-flow and was working out how to react, blinking twice as Tooru put down her manga and moved over to stare at her exercise book. Even Nagi put down her pencil and seemed relieved to have something more exciting to focus on.

"Hmmm, guess!" Run said with a grin as she spun the book round for Yuuko to see.

Yuuko, Tooru and Nagi gazed at the page for a good number of seconds trying to work out what it was.

_Ummm well I know she likes animals right? _Yuuko thought, _and it does sorts look like there's an eye at the top of this thing…and maybe that's a tongue? _ _Geez! It looks like a constipated snake on legs. Umm I suppose I could just say snake right? _Yuuko glanced at Tooru and Nagi anxiously.

Tooru's concentrated stare lasted a couple of seconds longer then she sat back with a smile. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt she knew. Yuuko was relieved to see Nagi looking even more bemused than she did, a frown deeper than when she was struggling with her high level maths homework wrinkling her brow. The pause lasted some time. Eventually Nagi hazarded a guess,

"Err, um, a jack in the box?" Ruun pouted and shook her head. Tooru hid a smile behind her droopy sleeve. Yuuko frowned,

_Not even close then…I bet it's an animal. What else has that shape? Maybe it's not standing up but crawling? A caterpillar? Oh well…_

"A caterpillar?" she hazarded.

Tooru didn't bother to hide her grin this time and Run looked glum.

"It's an ice cream sundae isn't it?" Tooru volunteered, Run perking up at once.

"Yes!" Run exclaimed happily.

"WHAT?" Nagi and Yuuko exclaimed in unison before Nagi proceeded to subject Run to an inquisition.

"But what about the eye here?"

"Chocolate button."

And these tiny legs along the body…I mean scoops"

"Hundreds and thousands."

And these giant leg like things at the bottom?"

"The ice cream stand."

Nagi slumped back defeated.

Squinting and blurring the lines did make it more like an ice cream sundae, Yuuko thought, recalling Tooru's previous advice about Run's drawings being, 'don't overthink them'. _Maybe that's the secret. Remove too much analysis, make it blurry and pretend a 5 year old was drawing it. _

"Hmm I'm hungry!" Run suddenly declared. There was a short pause as she thought about what she wanted to eat. No-one was protesting at the idea of food although Tooru appeared to be monitoring the situation closely. "I want to make a cake!" Run declared, "a sponge cake!"

Nagi started, "but what about the main bit of dinner?"

Run bit her lip looking vexed, "hmmm…"

"Do you know how to make a sponge cake Run?" Yuuko asked carefully. The last few times Run had attempted to make something had not been a huge success.

Run shook her head and then stared straight at Yuuko hopefully. "No, but I was hoping maybe you could teach me Yuuko?"

Yuuko sighed. She couldn't refuse Run when she gave her that sort of look. And although a disaster in the making cooking with Run was, it had to be said, kinda fun and exciting. You really weren't sure what would happen next.

"Then Nagi and I will go get stuff for dinner then,"" Tooru said with determination. It was a standard routine by now on the odd occasion when Run wanted to cook. Tooru would buy alternatives and backup supplies, Yuuko would attempt to teach Run, who to be fair had improved a little from her first attempts (sometimes the food was just about edible) and Nagi would help Tooru carry the shopping (being the strongest of the four).

"Ous!" declared Run happily, punching the air with her right fist. "Then studying is postponed for operation cake-ee!"

"I think you postponed studying some time ago Run," Nagi added with a grin. Tooru nodded in support. Run simply chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

"Ehh, well it'll be fine! I'll be more fired up when full!"

And so they left the room, assigned to their tasks: Bags and schoolbooks largely left scattered (except in Tooru's case neatly stacked) about the room awaiting their return.


	2. A Clumsy Kiss

**A Clumsy Kiss**

"Hmm-a-hmm-a-hm" Run chanted as she brought over a large, cream ceramic bowel with a wavy ridged rim across from the cabinet and heaved it onto the white counter to the left of the sink.

"A cooking, a cooking, a cooking we do go…" she hummed merrily. Then she tiptoed over to the fridge and opened the door, eyes narrowing. Eggs! She removed a pack of 6 free range eggs (_chickens should be free to lay eggs!) _and carried them over to where the bowl was.

"What else do we need for making a cake-ee Yuuko?" She asked in an innocent voice, with a lopsided grin. She thought maybe flour was involved somehow and definitely a whisk but not where or why or how.

Yuuko sighed and proceeded to instruct Run on what to do, standing behind the shorter blonde. When it came to whisking the mixture though Run seemed more incompetent than normal. First stirring too haphazardly then too slow.

"That's somewhat off Run…" Yuuko sighed. Run froze mid whisk and looked over at Yuuko with puppy eyes.

"Would you help show me then?"

"Hai, hai…" Run remained holding the whisk and didn't stand aside. _So she still wants to whisk it but with my help, fine. _

Yuuko took hold of Run's right arm with her right hand and began to whisk the cake mixture at a steady smooth pace. Inevitably this meant that her body was pressing close into the back of Run and somehow being in such close proximity to the blonde started to make Yuuko a little nervous. Run seemed somewhat distracted because she let Yuuko guide her movements with no resistance at all.

Within a few minutes the mixture had been mixed to a satisfactory standard and Yuuko let go of Run's arm, stepping back. Being so close to Run's warm body had made her feel oddly uncomfortable. Not in a bad way as such. Just strange. _It's hard to really describe, _Yuuko thought as she watched Run practice a few more strokes of the whisk in a much better fashion before Run nodded in satisfaction and tossed the whisk across the counter in the general direction of the sink. Unfortunately it ended up on the floor near the bin with a series of sad sounding clangs upon the tiled kitchen surface, but Run didn't let that bother her.

It did bother Yuuko though who went to pick it up. _Seriously she's such a klutz sometimes! _As she headed over to the whisk she heard Run call out "What's next?"

"Now we need to put it in the oven. Make sure you've got the oven gloves." Yuuko had already ensured the oven had reached the correct temperature. To do so was almost automatic for her. But it would have been just like Run to have burnt her hands putting the dish into the oven, forgetting it was hot.

"Hai!" Run called out as she grabbed a pair of chequered gloves from a slide out draw to the right of the stove. Then she poured the mixture into the large cream ceramic bowl that Yuuko had set out. Yuuko meanwhile had reached the discarded whisk dripping with porridge like remnants of cake mixture. Bending down she grabbed it off the floor, grimacing slightly as her fingers made contact with the slimy mixture. _Eww…but I've heard it tastes real nice…_

_It's been a while since I've tasted cake mixture, _she thought as she swiped her finger along the thin metal loop of the whisk to gather up the sticky pale cake mixture. Kneeling on the floor she licked the mixture off her finger and let it swirl about her mouth. _Sweet…_

She was oblivious to Run's staggering, blind progression across the kitchen in her direction. At least until Run's body bounced into her side knocking her sideways and onto her back.

"Ooops!" Run exclaimed in mock horror as the all too familiar sight of a bowl went flying from her hands. As Yuuko went to try and desperately catch it Run sprawled over her body in an entanglement of limbs. Seconds, although it felt like an eternity later, the bowl hit the ground with the clean tinkle of something that will never be repaired, ever; accompanied by a gloopy splodge of hard worked cake mixture splattering the floor, kitchen units and the two girls.

Yuuko should have been cross, livid in fact. But against her neck she felt Run's warm breath and it was doing disturbing things to her libido. Not unpleasantly so. The breath moved away and she found herself staring back into Run's deep chocolate eyes.

Run scratched the back of her head nervously and glanced to the side.

"Sorry Yuuko, I messed up I guess." She grinned apologetically. Yuuko sighed. It was to be expected after all. Cream mixture streaked over there clothes like the aftermath of a passionate artist's fervor. Some trailed across her cheek and inched it's way to the ground under gravity's tug.

"It's allright…" she began as Run's wide innocent eyes bore directly into her own.

"Say you've got some on your cheek," Run added and suddenly there was a hint of something else behind the pure chocolate. _Desire? What? Does she like cake mixture that much? _

Gently Run levered herself down and the next thing Yuuko knew something warm and moist ran against her cheek, clearing up the cake mixture. Involuntarily she gasped feeling oddly flushed and hot, her eyes glimpsing a sea of golden strands which pulled away a second later to reveal a rather satisfied Run licking her lips. Yet there was definitely something different about her eyes. They were brighter and deeper than usual. As though they were seeing right through her.

"You enjoyed that Yuuko?" Run giggled. Yuuko felt herself unable to reply, after all how could she tell Run that she had enjoyed the moment all too much. Run's eyes seemed to be getting much closer, and closer and _Mmmph! _

Her lips locked with Run's and she felt Run's lips moulding against her own. It was a moist, warm, tingling sensation tinged with the sweetness of the cake mixture. It was both intrusive and yet she was left wanting more. For the briefest of moments she felt Run's tongue brush her lips and felt her heart accelerate. Then the slam of the front door brought them both back to their senses.

"Ahaha, sorry Yuuko I got carried away." Run said giggling nervously as she sat up, astride the brunette beauty beneath who was struggling to get her breath back. The living room door opened and Tooru entered carrying two plastic bags of goods. As her eyes scanned the room she saw many things…the broken bowl, cake mixture everywhere and Run sitting astride a blushing Yuuko…


	3. Inquisition

**Inquisition**

Tooru stood rooted to the spot as Yuuko colored up. Run looked bemused. Tooru's eyes narrowed and Yuuko found herself fidgeting nervously.

"Ah, um…this isn't…I mean an accident…" Yuuko stammered. Tooru continued glaring.

"I mean…" Yuuko glanced to Run for support. Run blinked and then smiled at Tooru.

"Yeah um I slipped and sorta fell on Yuuko." Run explained as she got up, just in time to prevent Tooru disappearing straight for her baseball bat.

Tooru relaxed. Then she froze. Her eyes narrowed. Then she dropped the bags and shot upstairs. Nagi blinked at the sudden change in Tooru's behaviour. Glancing again at Run, who stood with her head angled to the side looking equally bemused, and Yuuko who was getting to her feet with face the color of a fire engine. Yuuko's glance kept darting between Run and the doorway and her eyes sparkled with anxiety.

_Surely just a fall…I mean come on! _Nagi thought with a wry smile as she started to move forward with the bags she was carrying. _Trust Tooru to be so paranoid…_

Still Yuuko did seem more nervous than before. Footsteps thumped down the stairs, accompanied by a dull clumping noise of an object dragged behind. Run's face took on a more thoughtful expression, her half smile becoming a frown. Yuuko gulped and seemed to shrink back against the kitchen counter.

Nagi turned to see Tooru enter the room trailing her favorite accessory. _She packs her bat in her bag?…Ah I do recall seeing something poking out but still…_Nagi thought, as she stepped back to see what would happen.

Tooru stepped between the dropped shopping bags and approached Run with purpose. She got to within half a meter and stopped: Staring closely at Run's face.

"Lipstick!" She uttered in a deadpan tone. Nagi stared at Run and suddenly saw the off kilter red marks that looked remarkably similar to the imprint of lips…_No way! Maybe an accidental collision?_

"Eh! Ah, uh…" Run responded. Remarkably she blushed, went to rub the lipstick off with her left hand, paused and then let her hand drop. Yuuko was doing a remarkably good job of trying to vanish into the background.

Tooru went to move round Run but Run blocked her. Tooru went the other way and Run stepped back into her path. Tooru stopped to consider the problem.

"Through!" She said stubbornly just in case Run hadn't got the message.

Run blinked and stared at Tooru wide eyed.

"Why?"

Tooru paused to consider an appropriate answer. "To **talk **with Yuuko." Her bat bounced slightly on the floor as she said the word talk, Yuuko flinching. Run didn't respond so Tooru started moving round her again but Run stuck her arms out either side and stepped across blocking her.

"No!" There was unusual decisiveness to Run's voice. Tooru halted, shocked.

"Why?"

"Because I kissed Yuuko."

Nagi and Tooru gasped. _So she's not entirely as airheaded as she sometimes seems. I wonder how much is an act? _Nagi wondered.

Even more amusing was Tooru's expression. Her face didn't seem to know what to do. It flickered between stunned, horrified, angry and bemused. Finally Tooru managed a weak,

"Why?"

Run chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"I don't know. I just felt like I wanted to." Tooru's eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

"Do you feel like kissing many people?" She queried in a deadpan tone.

"No, just Yuuko," Run shot back instantly.

"Why?" Tooru again just about managed to choke out, the bat falling to the floor without Tooru even realising.

Run shrugged. "Because…well because I really like her. It's hard to explain. It just felt right." She blushed slightly.

Tooru's shoulders sagged, unable to respond adequately anymore. Suddenly she turned and trudged out of the room with sleeves trailing along the ground. Slow, sad footsteps thumped their way up the stairs. Nagi thought they were deliberately slow. A heavy silence descended on the room. Nagi still processing what had happened, Run's brows more creased than usual and Yuuko now standing a little taller and staring at Run's back with a bewildered expression and mouth agape.


End file.
